An Even Better Way To Package Cookies

I've found that the addition of a piece of heavy duty paper is an even better way to package sugar cookies while still using my favorite inexpensive self-sealing cellophane bags.  

The piece of sturdy paper adds support to the package and helps keeps the cookie safe and sound during transport and handling.

The use of pretty paper also enhances the look of the packaging and makes for a nice presentation.

My paper choice was acid free patterned cardstock that I found in the scrap booking section of Michael's Arts & Crafts. To assemble the packages I cut the paper to size, set the cookies on top and simply slid them together into the cellophane bags.

It really is easy and makes for a very professional presentation.

Part of the fun of adding paper to the packaging is deciding what design to put with what cookie.

The addition of paper helps the cookies stay upright and protected during transport.

Teal And Gold Heart Cookies

This elegant cookie design came about because I wanted to make some simple heart cookies for a sale this weekend but was determined to stay away from using pinks and reds which I felt just wouldn't be right for Fall.

I'm really pleased with this combination of teal and gold. For a little extra oomph and shimmer I also painted the border with gold luster dust.

To make these I used a round scalloped cutter to cut the cookies and then after baking I outlined them with gold royal icing.

After the border dried for 30 minutes, I flooded the cookies with white royal icing.

I let the cookies dry overnight and the next day piped hearts onto the cookies. If you don't feel comfortable doing this freehand, you could use an edible ink marker to draw a heart that you could trace.

The final touch was the addition of gold luster dust on the border. To do this, I put a teaspoon of luster dust in a small container and added just enough vodka to make a paint. Then I simply painted it on with a soft brush. Let the cookies dry completely before packaging.

The Art Part Of Cookie Decorating

Painted Cookies

Brushed Embroidery

I started decorating cookies one day nearly ten years ago just because I was feeling creative and needed an art project. I've always been someone who has thrived on working with my hands and trying something new.

Actually one of the first things my mom said to my husband when we announced we were getting married was, "Do you know about Heidi and her projects?" What can I say? — I like making stuff and when I was younger I wasn't the best at cleaning up my messes.

When I gave cookie decorating a shot, I had been interested in it for a while after seeing Wendy Kromer demonstrate outlining and flooding on Martha Stewart's show and saving a 2004 issue of Sunset Magazine that had tips and a recipe from pastry chef Emily Luchetti. Her sugar cookie cutout recipe was so good that it is the one I still use today with one little change, the addition of a bit of almond extract.

I didn't take any pictures of my first cookie decorating project, a batch of snowflakes, and that's probably a good thing. They were nothing special due to too runny icing and my lack of experience but they tasted great and I was hooked on the whole process of decorating cookies.

It's my art and I love it because the decorating possibilities are endless and there's always a new technique to try, learn and improve upon. Plus, I get the added pleasure of seeing smiles when I share the cookies with family and friends.

This week I've been working on some new designs for an artisan fair at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. I've been doing a little brushed embroidery work, painting and I'm making sets of cookie place cards that will be sold with an edible marker, perfect for setting Thanksgiving tables.  I can be found selling alongside my good friend Linda who makes the most adorable and super soft one-of-a-kind knitted dolls.

I hope to see you this weekend. Here are the details: 

10th Annual Artisan Invitational Fair. Saturday, November 8, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 9, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Kempton Hall. Admission: 2 cans of food or $2. Benefiting The Cathedral Arts Program and Trinity Outreach Food Pantry. Free parking.

Fabulous Free Food

Every bit of the soup, salad, entrees and dessert that we served today at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's Wednesday Community Meal was free thanks to our wonderful gleaners and the generosity of those in our community who share their leftovers.

A group of dedicated volunteers gleans regularly for us, collecting food from places like The Oregon Food Bank, Good Samaritan Hospital, Phil's Uptown Meat Market, Pizza Schmizza, Grand Central Bakery and Trader Joe's which helps us keep our costs down and stay within budget.

We are on track to serve just under 20,000 meals by the end of the year and even with financial support from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, donations and fundraisers, feeding everyone would be cost prohibitive without the gleaning.  Typically we need to purchase additional ingredients so that we can serve a well-rounded meal and have enough to feed everyone who comes to our door.

Today though, with a little creativity, we were able to utilize just our gleaned food and serve 247 four-course meals.  

It really is a shame how much food is wasted in our country and it feels satisfying to save it and put it to good use. It's also important to note that just because it's free, it doesn't mean it's not fabulous. The food we glean is high quality and nutritious and to prove it, here are some of the meals we served today:

Green Chicken Curry, Roasted Tomatoes and Green Beans, Carrots and Onions.

Baked Fish, Roasted Tomatoes, Rice and Green Beans and Onions.

Seasoned and Sliced Chicken Breast Over Rice, Green Beans, Carrots and Onions and Roasted Tomatoes.

Chicken Skewers Over Rice, Roasted Tomatoes and Green Beans, Carrots and Onions.

Salted Caramel Mini Macarons

Mini Salted Caramel Macarons

If you want many macarons, make mini macarons. I made another batch of Salted Caramel Macarons because I needed more to share with friends but this time made them mini-sized and got 80 finished macarons from a single recipe.

Mini macarons are so cute and I find that the small size is actually easier to pipe and bake, making them ideal for first time macaron makers. It can be a struggle to pipe even-sized rounds of macaron batter when when you don't have much piping experience so aiming for small nickle-sized rounds is a good place to start and then when you get the hang of it you can go bigger. As for the baking, I find that mini macarons bake more evenly because of their small size and are less likely to have hollow centers. 

To make the Mini Salted Caramel Macarons, just follow my original recipe but reduce the size and baking time — Mine took 10 minutes to bake but I started checking them at 7 minutes. It is important that you bake them long enough. They should feel very firm to the touch and not wobble a bit if you give one a gentle shake. It really is better to bake macarons a bit too long than too little. If they are underbaked, they won't want to release from the parchment and they'll tear and be fragile. I've been through this and it's very frustrating!

Please give mini macarons a try. Once you have success, you'll be hooked on making macarons and trust me, you friends and family won't mind one bit.

The piped mini macarons. I aimed for nickle-sized rounds and after settling they grew to be a bit bigger than a quarter.

Look at all those macaron shells from one batch! I got 160 shells, enough to make 80 finished macarons. Here the shells are sorted into pairs and ready to be filled with salted caramel buttercream.

The finished macarons.

Homemade And Comforting Food

Enchilada Casserole, Oven-Roasted Green Beans and Chips.

We served delicious and comforting homemade enchilada casserole and lasagna today at The Wednesday Community Meal and our guests loved it. The cheesy casserole-style dishes were the perfect antidote to another cold and rainy Portland day.

When I think about it, homemade casseroles are not easy to find in restaurants and so unless you cook or live with a cook, they're kind of a rarity. A casserole is special because it's something you get at home.

Adding cheese to the top of an Enchilada Casserole.

In addition to the enchilada casserole and lasagna, our guests sat back and relaxed with soup, salad, dessert and cups of hot chocolate, coffee, milk and lemonade.

Volunteers Linda and Leah made all the salads we served today. They were topped with strawberry slices and croutons and looked so pretty.

We served 325 meals and since Halloween is just days away, a few of our volunteers got into the spirit and dressed up.

There was a clown:

Dean is so much fun! Every Wednesday he serves coffee and hot chocolate tableside in the dining room.

Here's Dean again, clowning around with our wonderful volunteer servers, Mary, Dorrie and Carol.

There was a witch:

Dave is a Wednesday Community Meal VIP. Every week he arrives early to shop for us at Cash 'n' Carry, buying any additional items we need to make the meal happen. He also is part of our ace team of dishwashers.

And, there was a blind mouse:

Craig is great, a regular volunteer in the kitchen and willing to help wherever needed. Today he made sure all the pans of enchilada casserole and lasagna were cooked to perfection.

Salted Caramel Macarons

The filling for these Salted Caramel Macarons is just about the easiest thing ever. You whip room temperature unsalted butter, some store-bought salted caramel sauce and sea salt together until it's light and creamy and that's all there is to it.

It is absolutely delicious and would also make an exellent filling or frosting for a chocolate cake. Now that I think of it,  pumpkin cake would also be really good .... I definitely have some more baking to do.

In the meantime, here's the recipe:

Salted Caramel Macarons
180g ground almonds, sifted
270g powdered sugar, sifted
150g egg whites, aged 2 to 4 days in the fridge and then brought to room temperature
100g granulated sugar

Line four heavy baking sheets with good quality parchment paper and set aside. Also, set aside two pastry bags for the piping of the macarons.

Sift together your ground almonds with the powdered sugar and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites (at room temperature) to glossy firm peaks adding the granulated sugar gradually in four parts.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites using a large rubber scraper.  Mix well.

Fold the mixture with the rubber scraper by pulling down the sides and flipping the mixture over. Do this until you have a smooth mixture that falls like a “ribbon” off the scraper.

Transfer the mixture into the two piping bags. Use rubber bands to close the piping bags. Clip the tip of the bags, one at a time, and pipe small quarter sized rounds, leaving 1-inch of space between each because they spread as they set.

Leave to set for about 30 minutes or until the top has formed a crust and is not sticky to the touch. 

Piped macarons resting before baking.

A side by side comparison of baked and unbaked macarons.

While they are setting, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. A convection oven is preferable. 

Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cookie is firm, matte and doesn't wobble when touched.

Baked macarons sorted into pairs.

Filling the macarons.

Leave them on the baking tray until cool then lift them all off the parchment carefully. You may need to use a thin knife to help lift them off.

Sort into pairs and fill with Salted Caramel Buttercream.

Store the macarons in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Salted Caramel Buttercream
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Whip the butter until it is smooth and light. Add the caramel sauce and salt and whip again until light and creamy.

Adding the caramel sauce and sea salt to the butter.

After some whipping it will look like this.